New Delhi [India], September 2 (ANI): Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivasatava on Wednesday handed the first tranche of relief material from New Delhi to the Kathmandu government, the Ministry of External Affairs stated.
In a post on X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India sent a fifth aircraft carrying an 11-member rescue team with specialised equipment and 5.5 tonnes of essential medicines to Nepal as part of the ongoing humanitarian aid.
The aircraft landed in Nepal this morning.
"India continues to extend humanitarian assistance to Nepal. The fifth Indian aircraft landed in Nepal in the morning, carrying an 11-member rescue team with specialised equipment and 5.5 tonnes of essential medicines. Ambassador Naveen Srivastava handed over the fresh tranche of relief material to the Government of Nepal," he wrote.
India continues to extend humanitarian assistance to Nepal.
The fifth Indian aircraft landed in Nepal in the morning, carrying an 11-member rescue team with specialised equipment and 5.5 tonnes of essential medicines. Ambassador Naveen Srivastava handed over the fresh tranche of… pic.twitter.com/vwBg97Xkwb
Highlighting India's ongoing humanitarian mission in flood-hit Nepal, Ambassador Srivastava wrote on X, "India's support to Nepal's relief and rescue operations for #Rasuwa flash flood continues. 5th flight from India carrying 11-member rescue team with specialized tunnel rescue equipment and medicines landed in Kathmandu."
India’s support to Nepal’s relief and rescue operations for #Rasuwa flash flood continues. 5th flight from India carrying 11-member rescue team with specialized tunnel rescue equipment and medicines landed in Kathmandu
🇮🇳🤝🇳🇵@MEAIndia @DrSJaishankar @IndiaInNepal @MofaNepal… https://t.co/UYFuPkllgd pic.twitter.com/RA3SMVKrwd
Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also noted the departure of the fifth Indian aircraft carrying emergency assistance to Nepal.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said, "The fifth Indian aircraft has departed for Nepal. It is carrying a 11-member rescue team with specialised equipment, and 5.5 tonnes of essential medicines."
The aircraft was sent at a time when the death toll from floods in Nepal has risen to 1,127, according to the Nepal Police, on Wednesday.
The act of sending relief aircraft to Nepal falls under India's "Neighbourhood First" policy and as part of its Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) framework.
As per the Nepal Police, a total of 45 bodies have been recovered from Rasuwa, 155 from Nuwakot, 59 from Dhading, 348 from Chitwan, 66 from Gorkha, 38 from Tanahun, 217 from Nawalparasi East and 190 from Nawalparasi West.
The Nepal Police also reported that nine bodies have been recovered in India.
Of the bodies recovered, only 95 have so far been handed over to their families after identification.
Meanwhile, the Nepal Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Kathmandu has begun performing temporary burials for flood victims as search and rescue operations are proceeding around the clock in northern and central parts of the country following the catastrophic Bhote Koshi River flash floods.
Addressing the fifth daily press briefing in Kathmandu, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Lok Bahadur Chhetri provided a comprehensive update on the multinational effort.
The spokesperson added that a 19-member Indian Forensic Team is analysing DNA samples in Nepal, joined by a 5-member team from China and specialised personnel from South Korea and Singapore.
"The Indian Tunnel Rescue Team is working closely with the Nepali Rescue Teams in two locations: Langtang and Chilime," Chhetri reported. "Some work is done towards opening the tunnel, but due to mud and boulders filling the inner side of the tunnel, more needs to be done."
Meanwhile, volunteers from Likhu Rural Municipality have mobilised to assist in critical rescue, retrieval, and cleanup operations across flood-devastated areas including Devi Ghat, Trishuli, and Betrawati following catastrophic flooding along the river basin.
Spearheaded by Likhu Rural Municipality Mayor Dhurba Shrestha alongside local leaders, a coordinated team of around 150 to 300 volunteers, equipped with JCB excavators, trucks, shovels, and pickaxes, headed into the disaster zone to clear heavy silt debris, construct walkable pathways, and retrieve rotting bodies to hand over to local authorities.
Speaking with ANI, local volunteers like Navraj Thapa and Mahesh Kumar Dongol described unprecedented destruction, recounting how raging waters wiped out entire settlements, leaving thousands displaced or missing.
With 20 residents missing from Likhu alone, municipal leaders pledged continued ground support alongside future food relief and financial aid. (ANI)
